alumni profile
A lifelong interest in flying culminates with TESU degree Cody Downey, BS ’19 Cody Downey cannot recall a time when he didn’t want to be an airline pilot.
as a choir director while completing my associate in applied arts degree.”
Getting to that destination was a surprisingly seamless process. Once Thomas Edison State University (TESU) awarded him credit for his existing FAA certifications and his associate degree, the eight remaining courses he needed for his bachelor’s degree took less than a year to complete – even while he worked full time.
At the age of 20, a mere six days after earning his associate degree, he moved to Texas and started flying freight transport planes. By the following year, he had already fulfilled his 1,500 mandatory flight hours to become an airline pilot by flying cargo on SA227 Metroliners into Mexico and Canada. Today, with 3,000 flight hours to his credit, Downey serves as a captain and Pilot in Command (PIC) for PSA Airlines, flying passenger jets out of the company’s Charlotte, N.C., hub.
“One of the first words I ever spoke was ‘airplane.’ My parents will tell you that in the middle of my little league baseball games, I would miss fly balls because I was busy staring up at the planes,” said Downey, a 2019 TESU Bachelor of Science (BS) graduate and pilot for PSA Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group.
“I knew I couldn’t rely on a 2-year degree to make me as competitive as I’d like and advance my career with a legacy airline, so I decided to complete my bachelor’s. Doing so would also equip
“I KNEW I COULDN’T RELY ON A 2-YEAR DEGREE TO MAKE ME AS COMPETITIVE AS I’D LIKE AND ADVANCE MY CAREER WITH A LEGACY AIRLINE, SO I DECIDED TO COMPLETE MY BACHELOR’S. DOING SO WOULD ALSO EQUIP ME WITH THE CREDENTIALS NEEDED FOR FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES.”
Downey got an early start in heading skyward.
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“I started flying when I was 14, soloed on my 16th birthday, completed my instrument training at 18 and became a commercial single- and multi-engine aircraft pilot and certified flight instructor at the age of 19,” he said. “During that time, I was working full time as a baggage handler for Delta Air Lines, waiting tables and volunteering
Cody Downey
me with the credentials needed for future opportunities.” Focusing on a BS degree in Aviation Flight Technology at TESU’s School of Applied Science and Technology, Downey was able to transfer most of his previously earned credits and all of his pilot certifications – including his Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) along with his regional and air carrier certifications – into his degree program.
“I ended up only having to take 24 credits – or eight courses – to complete my bachelor’s degree without accumulating any student loan debt. Taking two courses at a time, it took me just under one year.” He also benefitted from TESU’s Corporate Choice® program partnership with the Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA), of which he is a member. Through the educational partnership, he received discounted rates on tuition that helped him push through. “I did this all while flying full time as an airline pilot, working with ALPA on several committees and volunteering as a Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) auditor,” he said. “Many ALPA carriers require, or highly desire, a 4-year degree for applicants to remain competitive,” said Andrew “Drew” Everett, a B717 captain for Hawaiian Airlines (HAL) who serves on the ALPA National Membership Committee and as a HAL ALPA membership chair. According to Everett, possessing a degree demonstrates personal drive, ambition and dedication to the field. “Above and beyond the professional advantages, higher education also provides an opportunity to open one’s mind, expand horizons and provide a fallback should a career be sought outside the cockpit,” he said. For Downey, TESU’s program structure was compatible with his schedule as an airline captain. “The courses and timeline are very easy to maintain,” said Downey. “During layovers, I was working on my papers or doing assignments. Often, I would